Improving Employee Performance by Putting People First
With the warmer weather finally on its way and everything springing into life, I’ll be taking a look at how we can create the ‘Spring effect’ for employees and boost their productivity at the same time.
“I’m going to underperform today!”
Lets face it, no one comes into work and says “I’m going to underperform today!” most employees want to do a good job. As managers we’ve all heard the cry “People are your most important asset” and so know that we should be investing in them and yet many companies are still neglecting this fundamental truth.
It’s all too touchy feely!
If there was a new piece of software or technology that could improve performance by up to *48% most managers would buy it without question, but if it involves investing in the actual employee it can still be perceived as a bit touchy feely… “it can’t have any real impact on performance …can it?” Smart managers know that you can have all the high tech gismos in the world but if the carbon based life form at the end of the process is unmotivated, stressed or feeling drained when they answer a call the customer knows it. All the expensive technology becomes instantly worthless.
Is there anybody there?
No need to hold a séance just yet but many employees will be IN work but not AT work, not truly present, they come in, ‘sit out’ their shift and then go home. For many, their presence and performance is often restricted by the very nature of the job. Commonly employees feel undervalued stressed or are just physically aching and tired.
The 3 major issues that effect employee performance
1. Lack of engagement
2. High levels of stress
3. High levels of muscular skeletal problems (aches and pains)
Tactical and relevant rewards
How many of your current reward or wellbeing programmes tackle these issues? While a box of chocolates, pizza or fruit will always go down well, a deep pan pepperoni or the occasional banana, with the best will in the world, is never going to relieve an aching neck, tight shoulders or reduce stress levels.
The rewards you implement need to be relevant so the employee knows that you appreciate that aspects of the role can be challenging and that you have addressed it. By investing in a tactical and relevant reward programme you can improve morale and engagement levels, reduce stress, boost energy and improve muscular aches and pains.
Engaged, comfortable and awake!
There are 3 fundamental things an employee should be to perform well. Simply put, they need to be engaged, comfortable and awake!
1. Engaged
An engaged workforce will drive business performance and have a direct impact on the bottom line. Engaged employees are people that are highly motivated and vested in the success of their organizations and are willing to make an extra, discretionary effort in their daily work. By incentivising staff with relevant rewards you make them feel valued, motivated and engaged.
2. Comfortable
Many agents (* typically 65% +) complain about muscular aches and pains as well as high levels of headaches affecting them. (How well does anyone work if they are in pain?) Employees frequently describe the level they feel they are working at when they have muscular aches and pains as around 70%. By reducing the impact of muscular skeletal problems and improving agent posture you can quickly and easily boost productivity.
3. Awake
One of the questions asked in our wellbeing survey is How do you feel at the end of an average shift? The word “tired” is used on average in 75% of the answers, along with a variety of more colourful language. The obvious next question is At what point during the day did you lose them? One of the biggest drainers of energy is stress, and one of the main ways to reduce stress is to energise! The more energised, refreshed and focused someone feels the less stressed they are, it gives people the “ability to cope”. By boosting employee energy levels you can ensure that they remain refreshed .
Improve their day, Improve your numbers
By tackling the 3 major issues effecting an agents work life on a daily basis, the work becomes easier to perform. This will then substantially improve employee productivity.
To find out how much performance you’re loosing to low motivation stress and muscular skeletal problems ask about our employee wellbeing survey.
Donna Phillips MICHT MGPBT
Head of Happy Healthy Staff Dept
Therapy Solutions
* results from national wellbeing and engagement survey